After the Storm: Clean Historical Western Cowboy Romance Novel (Dawson Chronicles Book 2) Read Online Free Page B

and the next thing you know, you’re getting married.”
                  Art laughed.  “Boy, you sure are in a hurry, girl.”
                  “Actually, marriage isn’t on my dance card,” Hailey said, ringing out her rag.  “So where’s home for you?”
                  “Well, see, there’s this little place in Montana called Dawson and that’s where I aim to go.  Your bonehead cousin is dragging me home with him.  Says he has a job for me.”
                  “No kidding?  Sounds like something he’d do.”
                  “I did pull his bacon out of the fire, so he owes me,” Art said.  “Or so he says.  I didn’t bother correctin’ him.  He’s been after me about it, but I didn’t take him seriously at first.  After the last letter I got from Mama, I made sure he meant it.  Things in Louisiana aren’t any good right now—not for my kind, anyhow.  He said Dawson’s a little different that way, so I thought why not give it a try.  Can’t be any worse than home.”
                  “Just prepare yourself for his family.  They’re great folks and very respected, but they’re rambunctious and they argue a lot, which is funny most of the time.”
                  “That’s what he said.  So how about that cup of coffee?” Art asked.
                  “I thought I talked you out of that?” she teased.
                  “No, ma’am.  You tried to talk me out of it, but I don’t give up easy.”
                  “I do like that in a man.  Ok.  One cup of coffee after I see Kyle,” she said.
                  He smiled.  “I’ll wait and take you to him.  He’ll be happy to see you.”
     
    The Present
     
                  Art chuckled to himself as he remembered how the three of them had celebrated Christmas together along with some of the other soldiers and a few of the nurses.  He’d noticed that Hailey hadn’t been very chummy with the nurses and had remembered her remark about how silly she found some of them to be. 
                  However, she’d fit in well with the soldiers, drinking, playing cards, and telling some raunchy jokes.  The fellas had been enthralled by Hailey, who was beautiful despite her short, reddish hair.  Art felt the stirrings of desire as he thought about her delicate ears and full, sensual mouth and how soft it had been when he’d kissed her at midnight on New Year’s Eve at the impromptu dance at the hospital.
                  It had just been a friendly kiss and he wasn’t the only man Hailey had kissed that night.  They had been quick pecks of celebration, but he’d noticed the way some of the men had looked at her and he hadn’t been able to blame them.  After all, hadn’t he noticed her beauty?  The jealousy he’d seen on some of the nurses and nurses’ aides’ faces had been funny, too.  Hailey didn’t mind ruffling feathers no matter whose feathers they were.
                  A week later, he’d gotten to see her fighting skills when she’d taken down a solider who’d dared to put his hands on her rear end.  By the time she’d been done with him, he’d lain on the ground, groaning in pain.
                  She’d looked around at the crowd gathered around.  “Let that be a lesson to anyone else who wants to try getting fresh like that.”  Her gray eyes had flashed fire as she’d left the area and Art swore he’d lost his heart to her right then.
                  Kyle appeared at his side, snapping his mind back to the present.
                  “Some of the fellas are putting together a card game.  You want in?” Kyle asked.
                  It would be a good way to pass the time, Art mused.  He was as anxious as the rest of the men to get back to America.  “Sure.  Why